Presentation folder

ABSTRACT

A presentation folder suitable for business and similar presentation and networking uses is provided. The presentation folder displays a variety of materials in an attractive yet professional manner. The presentation folder may be compact in size, and it may also include multiple pockets and slits to hold numerous materials. Further, in one embodiment, the presentation folder is assembled from one die-cut blank which is easy to manufacture.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a presentation folder and, inparticular, to a presentation folder suitable for business and similarpresentation uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A great variety of presentation folders have been developed and used formany years. The purpose of these folders is to provide a neat andattractive package for business information and the like. These packagesvary considerably, but usually include multi-pockets, insert pages, andother devices for presenting multiple pages of information. For the mostpart, most of these packages are folders in the order of 8.5″ by 11″ insize and sometimes larger. Large presentation folders are generallynecessary to contain conventional 8.5″ by 11″ letterhead or printedsheets in which business information is printed. One drawback with theselarge presentation folders is that they are not easy to carry, whichoften presents practical problems both for the person presenting thefolder and the person receiving it. For example, it is very common topass on business information at networking events. To pass on a largefolder is frequently awkward to both the person giving it and the personreceiving it. The person giving it must carry a number of these to themeeting. Since they are too large to be carried in a pocket, thepresented must have an envelope or carrying bag. This is especially aproblem at networking events in which it is preferable to be free ofmaterial that has to be carried in one's hands.

Additionally, conventional presentation folders are not alwayseconomically designed or attractive in appearance. Further, manypresentation folders are comparatively expensive to make because of themultiple die-cutting and assembly processing that is frequently involvedin the manufacture of these folders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved presentation folder which maybe characterized as a complete package of presentation material, inwhich the presentation folder is designed to contain a wide variety ofinformation on insert sheets. The information may include contactinformation, company data and other related information, calendarinformation, descriptive information regarding products and availabilityof services, as well as more comprehensive information available on aminiature or perhaps a full-size CD-ROM. Provisions are also made forinclusion of calling cards and business cards. A further object of thepresent invention is to provide a package design capable of receiving asignificant volume of business information desired for presentation withthe package, shaped and sized to be conveniently carried in a breastpocket or other pocket.

A further object of the present information is to provide amulti-compartment presentation package that is easy to manufacture andassemble and which has an attractive overall appearance and utility.

One further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedpresentation package capable of being assembled from substantially onepiece of material.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improvedpresentation package capable of displaying information on graduatedinsert sheets of different selected lengths printed for overallcommercial impression. The package is further provided with means forcontaining DVD or small CD-ROMs, along with one or more calling cards orbusiness cards.

In the present invention there is provided a folder having front andback rectangular panels that are joined together along a common sidethat forms a hinge between the panels. A pair of opposed pockets at oneend of the folder are formed by a pair of short panels each joined to adifferent one of the rectangular panels along a common side and end. Apair of elongated pockets are formed by flaps connected at one end to anend of each rectangular panel with the flap facing the rectangular paneland secured to it by insertion of the flap in the closed pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will bemore clearly understood when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a die-cut piece of cardboard from which theprincipal components of the present invention are formed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a completely formed presentation folderpartially opened;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a partially folded presentation folder;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of one embodiment of an opened presentationfolder; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of an opened presentationfolder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a die-cut blank from which thefolder is substantially formed. This blank may be made of any suitablecardboard like material, but preferably for business purposes should bemade of a quality paperboard which may or may not be textured orcolored. However, the folder, or at least a portion of the folder mayalso be formed from any type of foldable material, such as a plastic orpaper. A front rectangular panel 2 and back rectangular panel 4 are eachpreferably in the order of 7.5″ by 4.25″ to 4.5″. Panels 2 and 4 arejoined together by a web defined by parallel score lines 6 and 8 thatdefine the inner or facing sides of the panels 2 and 4. Preferablypanels 2 and 4 are substantially the same size, however, in oneembodiment one panel may be larger than the other panel. The spacebetween the score lines 6 and 8 is in the order of ¼″ to ½″ and forms aspine or hinge 10. At the bottom of one end of each of the panels 6 and8 are a pair of short panels 14 and 16 respectively. The outer edges 20and 22 respectively of panels 2 and 4 are in part defined by the scorelines 24 and 26 that define the short panel. These short panelspreferably have a height in the order of 4.75″ and a width of in theorder of 4″ or slightly less than the width of the panels 2 and 4. Theshort panels 14 and 16 may be formed with a bias-cut 28 between theupper and outer edges 27 and 29 respectively that define each of theseshort panels. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, the short panels 14 and16 may be formed to be rectangular, and may also have the corners foldedover and/or removed to form a bias-cut 28. A pair of flaps 36 and 38 areformed at the bottom of each of the panels 2 and 4 and are definedtherefrom by score lines 31 and 33 respectively. These flaps are in theorder of ¾″ high and have approximately the same width as the shortpanels 14 and 16. These flaps 36 and 38 may also be formed with abias-cut 28 or fold as shown in FIG. 5.

A pair of flaps 40 and 42 are connected to and are defined from panels 2and 4, respectively, by score lines 44 and 46. The inner parallel edges41 and 43 respectively of the flags 40 and 42 are spaced apart thedistance of the hinge 10.

The die-cut blank of FIG. 1 is folded to an assembled positionillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this arrangement, the short panels 14and 16 are folded inwardly along the score lines 24 and 26 respectively.The flaps 36 and 38 are folded upwardly and are cemented or otherwisesuitably secured, respectively, to the short panels 14 and 16. Dependingupon the material of the folder, fasteners, such as staples, may be usedto secure portions of the folder together. Preferably the flap 36 firstis folded upwardly against panel 2 and is cemented to panel 14 with theflap 36 between the short panel 14 and the front panel 2. Flap 38 issimilarly secured between the panel 4 and short panel 16.

Preferably, after the pockets 51 and 53 (FIGS. 2, 4) are formed betweenflap 14 and panel 2 and between flap 16 and panel 4, the flaps 40 and 42are folded downwardly on the score lines 44 and 46, respectively, withthe ends 52 and 54 of the flaps 40 and 42 positioned within the pockets51, 53 formed by the short panels 14 and 16. This arrangement provides apocket 60 on each side of the folder with the opening of the pocket 60open inwardly toward the hinge 10. However, the presentation folder mayalso be assembled with only one top flap, either 40 or 42, therebyforming only one of the pockets 60 and/or with only one side flap,either 14 or 16, thereby forming only one of the pockets 51 and 53. Inone embodiment, the folder is assembled by first folding the pair offlaps 40 and 42 down onto rectangular panels 2 and 4 as shown in FIG. 5.

A pocket 70 may be positioned on one of the short panels 14 or 16 asillustrated in FIG. 2. This pocket may be formed of any suitable plasticmaterial capable of being secured permanently to the surface of flap 14.Thus, a suitable, preferably transparent plastic may be cemented orotherwise adhered to the short panel 14 along three edges 72, 73 and 74to form a pocket with an opening 76 into which a CD-ROM or DVD miniaturedisk may be inserted as illustrated at 78.

Additionally, the panel 16 may be formed with a pair of slits parallelto one another and at a 45° angle to the corner of panel 16 with theslits 80 positioned at a sufficient distance apart to engage theopposite corners of a conventional calling card or business card 100shown in dotted outline 82. A third slit 81 may also be provided topermit either vertical or horizontal orientation of a card insert.

As shown in FIGS. 6-7, various arrangements of materials may bedisplayed within the presentation folder. For example, various sizes ofpamphlets and paper materials 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 may be selectivelyplaced within the pockets, along with business cards 100, and a CD-ROMor DVD 78. The paper materials may be arranged as gradual insert sheets,such as shown in FIG. 6 for an artistic impression. The embodiment inFIG. 6, when folded over has a substantially square shape having panelheight and widths ranging from 5″-6.5″. The embodiment of FIG. 7, whenfolded over has a substantially rectangular shape having panel heightand widths ranging from 5″ to 9″.

1. A folder comprising: a front and a back rectangular panel formedtogether along a common side forming a hinge between the panels; a pairof opposed short pockets at one end of the folder formed by a pair ofshort panels, each formed at one end, to one end of a different one ofthe rectangular panels and at a side edge, to a side of the rectangularpanel, other than the common side forming short pockets open along twoedges, a pair of elongated pockets extending the length and width of thefolder, each formed by a flap connected at one end, to the other end ofa rectangular panel with each flap in facing relation to the rectangularpanel to which it is connected, with its other end inserted into andsecured to one of the opposed pockets, and a disc holder comprising apocket formed of a transparent material having height and widthdimensions smaller than the dimensions of either pocket and secured tothe inner face of one of them.
 2. The folder as set forth in claim 1,wherein the common sides forming the hinge between the panels comprisesa member having parallel side edges co-extensive with the lengths of therectangular panels and spaced apart a fraction of the width of therectangular panels, the rectangular panels and member formed of a singlepiece of material with the edges formed by score lines.
 3. The folder asset forth in claim 1, wherein the short pockets are open along an edgeclosest to the hinge and along an edge remote from the end of thefolder.
 4. A presentation folder formed of a single piece of materialcomprising: a pair of rectangular elongated panels defined from oneanother by parallel spaced score lines; and a pair of short panelswherein one side of each short panel is defined by a score line thatalso in part, defines an outer edge of the elongated panel; a pair ofrectangular flaps having a length or width smaller than the elongatedpanels and defined therefrom by a score line defining an end of each ofa panel and a flap.
 5. A folder comprising: a front and a backrectangular panel formed together along a common side forming a hingebetween the panels; at least one short pocket at one end of the folderformed by at least one short panel formed along an edge of one of therectangular panels other than on the common side, forming at least oneshort pocket; at least one elongated pocket extending substantially thelength and width of the rectangular panel, formed by a flap connected atone end of the rectangular panel, in facing relation to the rectangularpanel to which it is secured to, thereby forming the elongated pocket;and a disc holder, comprising a pocket formed at least partially of atransparent material secured to one of the pockets, having a height andwidth dimension smaller than the dimensions of the rectangular panel. 6.The folder as set forth in claim 5, further comprising at least onesmall flap connected at one end of the rectangular panel opposite theflap forming the at least one elongated pocket, the small flap forming aside edge of the elongated pocket.
 7. The folder as set forth in claim5, wherein the common sides forming the hinge between the panelscomprises a member having parallel side edges co-extensive with thelengths of the rectangular panels and spaced apart a fraction of thewidth of the rectangular panels, the rectangular panels and memberformed of a single piece of material with the edges formed by scorelines.
 8. The folder as set forth in claim 5, wherein the at least oneshort pocket is open along an edge closest to the hinge and along anedge remote from the end of the folder.
 9. The folder as set forth inclaim 5, further comprising a plurality of short pockets at one end ofthe folder formed by a plurality of short panels formed along an edge ofone of the rectangular panels.
 10. The folder as set forth in claim 5,further comprising a plurality of elongated pockets extendingsubstantially the length and width of the rectangular panel, formed by aplurality of flaps connected at one end of the folder, in facingrelation to the rectangular panel to which the flaps are secured to,thereby forming the plurality of elongated pockets.
 11. The folder asset forth in claim 5, wherein the at least one short pocket furtherincludes a plurality of slits arranged to hold cards or a disc.